ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 31: Bear sweet fruit

For the first time, he was certain Demian wasn’t merely captivated.He was in love with Valerie.

Valerie, still dazed, could only clutch weakly at Demian’s chest, trying to make sense of what had happened...and why the man who was always so cold was holding her as if the world would crumble if she slipped away again.

Valerie was still standing in a daze, her body light but her mind in complete disarray. The massive flames that had raged moments before were now extinguished as if swallowed by the air itself. Every gaze was fixed on her, but the first to move was Demian.

Without a single second of hesitation, he pulled Valerie into his arms tight, desperate, as though the fear of losing her still clung to every breath he took. Those around them exchanged glances; this was the second time they had seen Demian lose control over a single woman.

Valerie didn’t dare say anything. Her heart pounded, not only from the shock of the ritual, but from the intensity in Demian’s eyes. When he finally guided her toward his tent, ignoring every watching eye, Valerie could only follow quietly.

Once inside, the noise of the world outside seemed to fade. Valerie swallowed hard, sat down slowly, and finally gathered enough courage to speak in a small, trembling voice.

"Demian... what really happened? Why am I here? And what was all of that?"

Demian exhaled deeply as he looked at her, as if confirming she was truly alive and right in front of him.

"You were cursed," he said softly. "By the sorcerer... that fox."

"Fox?" Valerie frowned. "The one in the forest?"

Demian nodded. "Yes. The fox with the golden and blue eyes wasn’t an ordinary creature. He’s a sorcerer who was targeting me. But you were the one who got hit by it... and you nearly died because of it."

Valerie froze. "So... I survived because—?"

"Because I forced him to heal you," Demian murmured, cutting her off, "and because you’re strong. You endured."

Valerie tried to process everything."And the war? Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to stay on the battlefield?"

Demian looked at her for a long moment, as if the answer was simple but unbearably heavy.

"The war is over," he finally said. "And there was no reason for me to stay when you wouldn’t wake up. I returned because... you’re more important."

Valerie fell silent. A small, sincere smile tugged at her lips."Then... congratulations, Demian. You—"

Demian didn’t let her finish.

He pulled her closer, his hands cupping her face, and without warning, his lips pressed against hers. Deep. Fierce. As if releasing every fear he had held back since the moment she collapsed.

Valerie froze in shock, but she didn’t push him away.Her heartbeat thundered in her chest caught between confusion and something she couldn’t name.

When Demian finally pulled away, Valerie gasped for air."Demian... I—I still feel unwell."

Demian brushed his thumb gently across her cheek, wiping away the last traces of confusion from her expression.

"You’ll recover," he said softly, but with unwavering certainty. "As long as you stay with me. You need rest... and I’ll make sure you heal."

He wasn’t saying anything indecent, yet the intensity in his gaze made Valerie look away, heat blooming across her cheeks.There was sincerity there... and a possessiveness so strong it made her breath catch.

And for the first time...

Valerie didn’t reject it.

Demian claimed Valerie’s lips again, his fingers tracing the contours of her face before guiding her down onto the bear-fur-covered be, a wild sanctuary beneath the hungry touch of flesh and fabric.

The night stretched before them, a stage for feverish desire; they ignited one another, set ablaze in a heat that refused to fade.

"I’m not fully recovered... so please, go slow," Valerie whispered, her breath trembling between their bodies.

Demian smirked, mischief flickering in his eyes as he peeled Valerie’s dress away, exposing every inch of her body to the dim glow.

He worshipped her with his mouth and tongue, each movement deliberate and gentle, as if praying at the altar of her skin. Where he was usually fierce and untamed, tonight he moved with hypnotic tenderness, sending Valerie adrift in a delirious haze of longing and pleasure.

"Do you like this?" Demian’s voice was a low, teasing growl.

Valerie could only nod, surrendering to every slow, deep thrust as Demian pressed inside her with exquisite softness, each motion a sensual dance, breaking the night with the music of ragged breaths and moans lost in the inviting warmth of bear fur.

They fucked until their bodies convulsed, writhing in feverish ecstasy, breaths ragged and desperate. Each thrust stoked the fire, every touch sent them tumbling closer to oblivion, until they shattered together in a raw, explosive release.

Their bodies spasmed, soaked in each other’s lust, as pleasure ripped through them like a violent storm. Teeth sank into flesh, moans filled the room, and they drowned in orgasmic bliss, utterly consumed by the night.

Demian’s lips roamed over Valerie’s face, mouth, and neck, kissing and marking every inch with wet, hungry fervor.

Valerie pushed his body down, flipping their positions in a swift, commanding move, now she straddled him, her gaze meeting his, both of them burning with raw need. Demian grinned up at her, eyes dark with mischief and lust.

"You said your body wasn’t fully recovered," he teased, voice thick and hoarse with desire.

Valerie only smirked, lowering herself to claim his lips with hers, her tongue tracing down his jaw and along his throat, leaving red, scorching kisses and bites as her signature.

She slid lower, lips worshipping his chest, planting more feverish marks, staking her claim on the man trembling beneath her.

Valerie straightened, breath heavy and wild, lips curled in a wicked smile.

"My body is just fine for another round," she purred, poised to devour him as the night stretched on, hungry for even more feverish pleasure.

"If that’s the case, tonight will be far more than just two rounds,"